President John Dramani Mahama has highlighted the power of new media, revealing that he only became aware of Ghana’s Shea Butter Museum after American influencer IShowSpeed visited the facility during his recent Africa tour.
Mahama made the disclosure while speaking at the Zambia–Business Dialogue in Lusaka, during his three-day state visit to Zambia, emphasizing how social media can shape global interest and national branding.
“With regards to the media again… he came through Ghana,” Mahama said, referring to the popular online streamer who toured several African countries.
He said the influencer’s stop at the Shea Butter Museum, where he received a massage using the locally produced cosmetic product, sparked widespread attention online and introduced millions of people to shea butter and its uses.
“And apparently I didn’t know that we had a Shea Butter museum in Ghana. And this young man visited. And he had a good massage with Shea Butter,” Mahama said.
According to the President, the influencer’s content triggered massive online curiosity after the visit.
“I’m told that after he left there were millions of searches on the Internet for what Shea Butter is and what Shea Butter can be used for,” he stated.
Mahama added that the exposure also increased global interest in Ghana itself.
“After he left it was reported that there were 20 million searches for Ghana… where is Ghana, what is Ghana about,” he said.
IShowSpeed, a US-based YouTuber and streamer with a large global following, visited Ghana as part of his Africa tour, drawing huge crowds and trending on social media as fans followed his movements and livestream moments across the country.
Mahama said the incident demonstrates how Ghana can harness the reach of influencers and digital platforms to promote local products, tourism, and the country’s global visibility.
“And so we can use it to our advantage,” he noted, while warning that the same platforms also carry risks, including misinformation and fake content.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
